FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* A PORTION OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... CHUSKA MOUNTAINS... FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS... JEMEZ MOUNTAINS... LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY... NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS... NORTHWEST PLATEAU... SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS... WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS... WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU.

* FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING

* A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH WESTERN NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING WILL INCREASE MOISTURE AND ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST. THE SLOW MOVEMENT COMBINED WITH RECENT HEAVY RAIN AND RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR WILL CAUSE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IN WESTERN AND NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING OF STREAMS... ARROYOS... DRY CREEK BEDS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. THE LOS CONCHAS BURN SCAR AS WELL AS CREEKS... WASHES AND ARROYOS IN AND JUST DOWNSTREAM FROM THE BURN SCAR WILL BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.